1H-NMR spin-spin relaxation time assessment of the reflection coefficient of the Triticale seed cell wall–plasmalemma barrier to mannitol

The ¹H-NMR spin-spin relaxation time (T₂) in Triticale seeds swelling in external osmotica, polyethylene glycol 8000 or mannitol can identify both bound and free water. At the same water content, the free water spin-spin relaxation time increases for seeds imbibed with the mannitol solution, demonstrating inadequate water potential adjustment. The exchange rate of free/bound water molecules is apparently influenced by the driving force for water flow. The reciprocal lifetime of free water molecules, as a measure of water flow through the main cell barrier, was obtained. From a model of the seed as a resistance–capacitor network for water flow, a method was derived for calculating the reflection coefficient σ as a lifetime ratio of the free water molecules in seeds imbibed with two different osmotica (one penetrating across the main cell barrier and one not penetrating) at the same water potential. The ¹H-NMR method and the classical method based on volume rate changes yielded reflection coefficients for mannitol for the cell wall–plasmalemma barrier of 0.78 ± 0.08 and 0.68 ± 0.06, respectively.     

Quantitative metabolic profiles of tomato flesh and seeds during fruit development: complementary analysis with ANN and PCA

Tomato, an essential crop in terms of economic importance and nutritional quality, is also used as a model species for all fleshy fruits and for genomics of Solanaceae. Tomato fruit quality at harvest is a direct function of its metabolite content, which in turn is a result of many physiological changes during fruit development. The aim of the work reported here was to develop a global approach to characterize changes in metabolic profiles in two interdependent tissues from the same tomato fruits. Absolute quantification data of compounds in flesh and seeds from 8 days to 45 days post anthesis (DPA) were obtained through untargeted (proton nuclear magnetic resonance, ¹H-NMR) and targeted metabolic profiling (liquid chromatography with diode array detection (LC-DAD) or gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID)). These data were analyzed with chemometric approaches. Kohonen self organizing maps (SOM) analysis of these data allowed us to combine multivariate (distribution of samples on Kohonen SOMs) and univariate information (component plane representation of metabolites) in a single analysis. This strategy confirmed published data and brought new insights on tomato flesh and seed composition, thus demonstrating its potential in metabolomics. The compositional changes were related to physiological processes occurring in each tissue. They pointed to (i) some parallel changes at early stages in relation to cell division and transitory storage of carbon, (ii) metabolites participating in the fleshy trait and (iii) metabolites involved in the specific developmental patterns of the seeds.     

A Role for the Surrounding Fruit Tissues in Preventing the Germination of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) Seeds : A Consideration of the Osmotic Environment and Abscisic Acid

During tomato seed development the endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) concentration peaks at about 50 d after pollination (DAP) and then declines at later stages (60-70 DAP) of maturation. The ABA concentration in the sheath tissue immediately surrounding the seed increases with time of development, whereas that of the locule declines. The water contents of the seed and fruit tissues are similar during early development (20-30 DAP), but decline in the seed tissues between 30 and 40 DAP. The water potential and the osmotic potential of the embryo are lower than that of the locular tissue after 35 DAP also. Seeds removed from the fruit at 30, 35, and 60 DAP and placed ex situ on 35 and 60 DAP sheath and locular tissue are prevented from germinating. Development of 30 DAP seeds is maintained or promoted by the ex situ fruit tissue with which they are in contact. Their germination is inhibited until subsequent transfer to water, and germination is normal, i.e. by radicle protrusion, and viable seedlings are produced, compared with 30 DAP seeds transferred directly to water; more of these seeds germinate, but by hypocotyl extension, and seedling viability is very poor. Isolated seeds at 35 and 60 DAP re-placed in contact with fruit tissues only germinate when transferred to water after 7 d. At 30 DAP, isolated seeds are insensitive to ABA at physiological concentrations in that they germinate as if on water, albeit by hypocotyl extension. At higher concentrations germination occurs by radicle protrusion. Osmoticum prevents germination, but there is some recovery upon subsequent transfer to water. Seeds at 35 DAP are very sensitive to ABA and exhibit little or no germination, even upon transfer to water. The response of the isolated seeds to osmoticum more closely approximates that to incubation on the ex situ fruit tissues than does their response to ABA. This is also the case for isolated 60 DAP seeds, whose germination is not prevented by ABA, but only by the osmoticum; these seeds are inhibited when in contact with ex situ fruit tissues also. It is proposed that the osmotic environment within the tissues of the tomato fruit plays a greater role than endogenous ABA in preventing precocious germination of the developing seeds.     

Etude par la R. M. N. de la germination de la Graine d’Avoine

The time-evolution of germination of oat seeds, suspended in the standard 5mm N. M. R. tube and supplied by water, was investigated continuouslyin vivo by the pulsed N. M. R. of water protons at the level of the seed. The results show that the spin- lattice relaxation time T1 yield the physiological information: in the germinated (living) seeds, the T¹’s are higher than in the killed seeds.      

Changes in water status and water distribution in maturing lupin seeds studied by MR imaging and NMR spectroscopy

The changes in water distribution in maturing lupin (Lupinus luteus L.) seeds were visualized with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI data showed local inhomogeneities of water distribution inside the seed. At the late seed-filling stage the most intense signal was detected in the seed coat and the outer parts of cotyledons in the hilum area, but during maturation drying the decline in MR image intensity was faster in the outer part of the seed than in the central part. The changes in water status were characterized by NMR spectroscopy. Analyses of T(2) relaxation times revealed a three-component water proton system in maturing lupin seeds. Three populations of protons found during seed maturation, each with a different magnetic environment causing a different relaxation rate, were correlated with three fractions of water (structural, intracellular, and extracellular) that were observed during seed germination. This study provides evidence that lupin seeds have similar states of the different water components with regard to seed moisture content at two distinct physiological stages, seed maturation and germination. The unique feature of maturing lupin seeds is the presence of the high (1)H-NMR signal in areas corresponding to the vascular bundles. Tissue localization of dehydrins showed the presence of dehydrin protein in the area of vascular tissue. An anti-dehydrin antibody detected three polypeptides in lupin embryos with molecular masses of 73, 43 and 28 kDa, respectively. The temporal pattern of dehydrin protein accumulation correlates well with seed desiccation.     

Imaging Mn2+ Uptake of a maize shoot by an NMR microscope

Distribution maps of free water in germinating maize shoots were measured by an NMR microscope, and localization of water was assigned by superimposing¹H-NMR micro-images on opital micrographs. In order to know physiological difference among tissues of the shoot, Mn²⁺, a strong paramagnetic reagent was applied on imaging. Change of the images affected by Mn²⁺ suggested that cell activity was higher in the first leaf than the other parts of the shoot of a 3 days old seedling.     

Proton NMR quantitative profiling for quality assessment of greenhouse-grown tomato fruit

Tomato is an essential crop in terms of economic importance and nutritional quality. In France, the third most important region for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production is Aquitaine where the major part of production is now grown soilless under greenhouse conditions with harvest from March to November. Tomato fruit quality at harvest is a direct function of its metabolite content at that time. The aim of this work was to use a global approach to characterize changes in the fruit organoleptic quality at harvest under commercial culture conditions during an entire season for two varieties and two different fertilization practices (with or without recycling of the nutrient solution) for one variety. Absolute quantification data of 32 major compounds in fruit without seeds were obtained through untargeted (proton nuclear magnetic resonance, ¹H-NMR) quantitative profiling. These data were complemented by colorimetric analysis of ascorbate and total phenolics. They were analyzed with chemometric approaches. Principal component analysis (PCA) or partial least square analyses (PLS) revealed more discriminant metabolites for season than for variety and showed that nutrient solution recycling had very little effect on fruit composition. These tendencies were confirmed with univariate analyses. ¹H-NMR profiling complemented with colorimetric analyses therefore provided a diagnostic tool to follow the changes in organoleptic and nutritional quality of tomato. In addition the quantitative information generated will help to increase our knowledge on the mechanisms of plant response to environmental modifications. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

A smoke-derived butenolide improves early growth of tomato seedlings

3-Methyl-2H-furo[2,3-c]pyran-2-one is an active compound isolated from plant-derived smoke water. It has a stimulatory role during seed germination similar to that of smoke or aqueous extracts of smoke. The present study was undertaken to gain insight into the physiological events involved in seed germination and seedling development and which are affected by butenolide using tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cultivar “Heinz 1370” seeds. No stimulatory role on the seed germination of tomato was recorded following the use of the butenolide, however, post-germinative growth of tomato seedlings was significantly improved over the control (P ≤ 0.05). The emergence of the radicle and elongation of the hypocotyls and radicles were accelerated in seeds imbibed with butenolide at 10⁻⁷ M. Flow cytometry studies showed that in butenolide-treated seeds the ratio of cells with replicated DNA was increased. Seedling vigour and weight were significantly increased by the butenolide (P ≤ 0.05). An inverse correlation was observed between the weight of cotyledons and the weight of the hypocotyls and radicle during seedling development. This is an indication that the butenolide is implicated in mobilization and utilization of stored reserve materials in developing tomato seedlings.     

内源脱落酸和赤霉素对番茄发育果实和种子水分关系的影响

利用热偶湿度计（ｔｈｅｒｍｏｃｏｕｐｌｅｐｓｙｃｈｒｏｍｅｔｅｒ）研究了野生型、ＧＡ－缺陷型和ＡＢＡ－缺陷型番茄发育过程中果实种子的水分关系,发现除ＡＢＡ－缺陷型种子胶囊和果肉水势变化特殊外,３种类型果实水分状况变化基本一致;在整个发育时期内．前期种子胶囊和果肉水分流向种子,中期种子水分流向种子胶囊和果肉,后期种子和果实间的水势达到平衡。鉴于种胚脱水是一种主动过程,种胚水势一直低于整个种子、种子胶囊和果肉。内源赤霉素可明显增加果实和种子的重量,但对增加种胚溶质的作用不大。由于内源脱落酸可以促使果实成熟和衰老,促进果实细胞解体,大大降低种子胶囊和果肉水势,因而抑制成熟种子在果实内萌发。     

The NMR Microscope: a Unique and Promising Tool for Plant Science

An outline is given of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) microscopyand its application to plant science. An NMR microscope non-destructivelydetects free water in tissues and creates anatomical imagesof the tissues. Since the quantity and mobility of cell-associatedwater is closely related to the condition of the cells,¹H-NMRimages represent physiological maps of the tissue. In addition,the technique locates soluble organic compounds accumulatedin the tissues, such as sugars in vacuoles or fatty acids storedas oil droplets in vesicles.²³Na-NMR imaging is suitable forstudying the physiology of salt-tolerant plants. Diffusion measurementsprovide information about the transport of substances and ionsaccompanied by water movement. The recently developed techniquesof three-dimensional imaging, flow-encoded imaging and spectroscopicimaging open up new opportunities for plant biologists. TheNMR microscope is thus a unique and promising tool for the studyof living plant systems in relation to morphology, the truefeatures of which are often lost during preparation for moreconventional tissue analysis. Copyright 2000 Annals of BotanyCompany Review, NMR microscope,¹H-NMR imaging, non-destructive analysis, anatomy, cell-associated water, relaxation times, soluble compound mapping,²³Na-NMR imaging, physiological mapping, diffusion measurement, flow-encoded imaging     

An analysis of the accumulation of water and dry matter in tomato fruit

Abstract Previously published data from tomato plants grown in nutrient solutions having one of three electrical conductivities (2, 12 and 17 mS cm^?1) were analysed. The rate of water import into the fruit, and the proportion of this conducted by the xylem stream were calculated from the daily rates of transpiration and the net accumulation of water and calcium. The rate of water import decreased as the conductivity of the nutrient solution rose, the maximum daily import rates in the third week after pollination being 3.2, 3.0 and 1.8 g fruit^?1 d^?1 for fruit grown at 2, 12 and 17 mS cm^?1, respectively. During fruit development, the proportion of water imported via the xylem fell from 8–15% to 1–2% at maturity. The principal source of water for tomato fruit growth was phloem sap. Based on the daily rates of net dry matter accumulation, respiration and phloem water import, the calculated dry matter concentration of the phloem sap declined from 7 to 3%, or from 12.5 to 7.8% during fruit development in low or high salinity, respectively. The similar dry matter accumulation of fruit grown at different salinities was due to changes in both volume and concentration of phloem sap. Potassium salts in tomato fruit were calculated lo have contributed –0.29, –0.48 and –0.58 MPa to total fruit osmotic potential in the 2, 12 and 17 mS cm^?1 treatments, respectively, which accounted for 38% or 49% of the measured total osmotic potential of the 2 mS cm^?1 or 17 mS cm^?1 treatments. The contribution of hexoses to total fruit osmotic potential in the young fruit was from about –0.1 to –0.2 MPa at all salinities. The osmotic potential of tomato fruit is regulated more by potassium salts than by hexoses.     

Fitness costs of jasmonic acid-induced defense in tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum

The resource allocation hypothesis is based on the assumption that defenses are costly, but relatively few studies have quantified the reproductive price of induced defenses, which represent the best means of measuring such costs in isolation from the genotypic costs that confound research involving constitutive defenses. Jasmonic acid (JA) is a plant signal molecule involved in the defensive responses of plants. It induces many of the same chemicals that are associated with herbivore damage, and thus offers a means of inducing plants without the removal of leaf area, which incurs its own costs. In tomato plants, JA induced resistance to Manduca sexta and increased levels of two defensive enzymes, polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase. We measured the impact of JA-induced defenses in tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum (Solanaceae), on several variables associated with reproductive success: fruit number, fruit weight, ripening time, time of fruit-set, number of seeds per fruit, total seeds per plant, the relationship between fruit weight and seed number, and germination success. Plants were grown in a pest-free greenhouse and treated biweekly with solvent or with JA at either of two concentrations: 10 mM or 1 mM. The high concentration of JA led to fewer but larger fruits, longer ripening time, delayed fruit-set, fewer seeds per plant, and fewer seeds per unit of fruit weight. The reproductive impact of induction was reduced at the lower dose, but still significant; 1 mM JA resulted in delayed fruit-set and fewer seeds per unit of fruit weight, compared to control plants. Our research indicates that JA-induced defenses impose significant costs on tomato plants.     

An NMR microscopic study of grape (Vitis vinifera L.)

Summary Mature healthy grape berries and berries wound-inoculated with the fungusBotrytis cinerea were examined by¹H NMR microimaging using 2D and 3D spin echo and gradient echo procedures. These NMR images were compared with representations obtained by conventional histology, where possible using the same specimens. 3D imaging datasets from excised seeds were reconstructed by surface rendering and maximum intensity projection to allow interpretation of their internal structure. T₂-weighted spin echo images revealed the major features of the pericarp, septum and loculi of whole berries. T₁-weighted images were less discriminatory of parenchyma tissues in the fruit but revealed the endosperm in seeds as a chemically shifted feature. A non-invasive study by T₁-weighted spin echo NMR imaging of infection byB. cinerea over a 6-day period showed that the disease spread throughout the exocarp but failed to spread in the mesocarp, a result confirmed by histological examination of the same specimen. Surface rendering of 3D datasets of excised seeds revealed the two ruminations of the endosperm and the distal location of the chalaza. The position of the embryonic axis was revealed in T₂-weighted maximum intensity projections. This noninvasive study revealed the need to apply a range of imaging techniques and parameters to visualise the structural features of the different parts of the grape berry.Abbrevations BF bright field - FDA fluorescein diacetate - FI field inhomogeneity - FOV field of view - NMR nuclear magnetic resonance - RF radiofrequency - T₁ spin-lattice relaxation time - T₂ spin-spin relaxation time - TE echo time - TMS tetramethylsilane - TR repeat time     

Seeds of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) which develop in a fully hydrated environment in the fruit switch from a developmental to a germinative mode without a requirement for desiccation

Seed water content is high during early development of tomato seeds (10–30 d after pollination (DAP)), declines at 35 DAP, then increases slightly during fruit ripening (following 50 DAP). The seed does not undergo maturation drying. Protein content during seed development peaks at 35 DAP in the embryo, while in the endosperm it exhibits a triphasic accumulation pattern. Peaks in endosperm protein deposition correspond to changes in endosperm morphology (i.e. formation of the hard endosperm) and are largely the consequence of increases in storage proteins. Storage-protein deposition commences at 20 DAP in the embryo and endosperm; both tissues accumulate identical proteins. Embryo maturation is complete by 40 DAP, when maximum embryo protein content, size and seed dry weight are attained. Seeds are tolerant of premature drying (fast and slow drying) from 40 DAP.Thirty-and 35-DAP seeds when removed from the fruit tissue and imbibed on water, complete germination by 120 h after isolation. Only seeds which have developed to 35 DAP produce viable seedlings. The inability of isolated 30-DAP seed to form viable seedlings appears to be related to a lack of stored nutrients, since the germinability of excised embryos (20 DAP and onwards) placed on Murashige and Skoog (1962, Physiol. Plant. 15, 473–497) medium is high. The switch from a developmental to germinative mode in the excised 30- and 35-DAP imbibed seeds is reflected in the pattern of in-vivo protein synthesis. Developmental and germinative proteins are present in the embryo and endosperm of the 30- and 35-DAP seeds 12 h after their isolation from the fruit. The mature seed (60 DAP) exhibits germinative protein synthesis from the earliest time of imbibition. The fruit environment prevents precocious germination of developing seeds, since the switch from development to germination requires only their removal from the fruit tissue.Abbreviations DAP days after pollination - kDa kilodaltons - SP1-4 storage proteins 1–4 - SDS-PAGE sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis - HASI hours after seed isolation - MS medium Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium This work is supported by National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada grant A2210 to J.D.B.     

Quantitative evaluation of NMR and MRI methods to measure sucrose concentrations in plants

Summary Developing pea (Pisum sativum L.) seeds were chosen to evaluate the performance of various nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods of detecting sucrose in plants. The methods included chemical shift selective imaging (CHESS), heteronuclear correlation via¹³C-¹H coupling (HMQC), and homonuclear correlation via¹H-¹H coupling (DQF). The same experiments were also performed on sucrose phantom samples to evaluate the methods in the absence of the line broadening observed in plant systems. Using the spin echo technique for multi-slice imaging, we could discern the detailed internal structure of the intact seed with a resolution of tens of microns. The proton spin-lattice relaxation time and linewidth as a function of the age of the seed were measured to optimize the efficiency of the NMR and MR experiments. The age-dependent changes in these NMR parameters are consistent with the accumulation of insoluble starch as age increases. Both the NMR and MRI results are in accord with the results of chemical analysis, which reveal that the sucrose concentration is higher in the embryo than in the seed coat, and glucose is at low concentration throughout the seed. Of the three methods for proton observation, the enhanced version of the CHESS approach (CD-CHESS) provides the best combination of sucrose detection and water suppression. Direct observation of¹³C is preferable to indirect detection using HMQC because of water signal bleed-through in samples with large (>200 Hz) linewidths.Abbreviations CD-CHESS continuous wave decoupling chemical shift selective imaging - CHESS chemical shift selective imaging - CSI chemical shift imaging - CW continuous wave - DQF homonuclear double quantum filtering - FOV field of view - FW fresh weight - GHMQC gradient version of the heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence     

油菜素内酯浸种对盐胁迫番茄种子萌发的影响及其生理机制

为揭示油菜素甾醇类化合物提高作物耐盐的效应和机理,研究了10^-11、10^-10、10^-9、10^-8、10^-7、10^-6、10^-5 mol/L 2,4-表油菜素内酯（EBL）浸种处理对0、50、100、150、175 mmol/L NaCl胁迫7 d的番茄种子萌发、生长、溶质积累、抗氧化代谢的影响。结果显示：NaCl浓度越高的盐胁迫下,10^-9 mol/L EBL浸种可体现出越显著的促进番茄种子萌发的效应;在所有处理下,EBL浸种浓度过高,即10^-6、10^-5 mol/L EBL,均表现出对种子萌发的抑制效应。盐胁迫下种子萌发后,一定浓度的EBL浸种可表现出明显的增加种子胚根和下胚轴长,提高萌发种子鲜重和种子活力指数,其中10^-9 mol/L EBL浸种处理促进效果最适;EBL浸种浓度过高,则表现出抑制效应。150 mmol/L NaCl胁迫或非盐胁迫下,10^-9 mol/L EBL浸种均可降低萌发种子体内的O₂^·-、H₂O₂、丙二醛（MDA）和脯氨酸（Pro）含量;盐胁迫下,10^-9 mol/L EBL浸种可显著提高萌发种子可溶性糖（SS）和可溶性蛋白（SP）的含量。150 mmol/L NaCl胁迫或非盐胁迫下,10^-9 mol/L EBL处理可不同程度促进番茄种苗超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）和过氧化物酶（POD）活性的上升。综上所述,盐胁迫下,一定浓度范围内的EBL浸种可明显促进番茄种子萌发或成苗,其中以10^-9 mol/L EBL浸种的效果最好,主要是因为EBL施用可积极促进番茄种子萌发中物质转化,SS和SP等溶质积累增多,增强其渗透调节能力;同时SOD和POD酶活增强,缓解盐胁迫导致番茄种子萌发中的次生氧化胁迫。     

A role for fruit structure in seed survival and germination of Swartzia langsdorffii Raddi beyond dispersal

• Diaspore structure has been hypothesised to play a role in seed viability and/or germination of recalcitrant seeds, especially for Swartzia langsdorffii. Thus, this work aims to (i) investigate the in situ contribution of pericarp and aril on seed viability and germination, and (ii) identify morphoanatomical traits of S. langsdorffii diaspores that allow its desiccation‐sensitive seeds to remain viable.
• The role of the pericarp and aril in seed survival and germination was investigated by placing the whole fruit, whole seeds (arillate seed) and bare seeds (without aril) in soil in the forest understorey, assessing germination, emergence, dead, firm and predated seeds, and water content of pericarps, arils and seeds. Correlation analysis was performed between environmental variables and physiological parameters. Histochemical features of diaspores were also investigated.
• Pericarp water content fell after several months, while the aril maintained its water content. Seeds did not lose water even without the presence of the pericarp and aril. However, presence of the pericarp promoted seed water content, viability and germination long after dispersal. The embryo had a thickened outer periclinal cell wall.
• Pericarp and aril are not essential to prevent water loss in seeds, but do help to retain seed moisture, favouring viability maintenance and promoting germination during the rainy season. Morphoanatomical features of seeds are suggested as main factors that reduce water loss. Survival of these desiccation‐sensitive seeds upon dispersal during the dry season appears to be facilitated by multiple diaspore features that prevent viability loss.

     

A water drop-shaped slingshot in plants: geometry and mechanics in the explosive seed dispersal of Orixa japonica (Rutaceae)

Background and AimsIn angiosperms, many species disperse their seeds autonomously by rapid movement of the pericarp. The fruits of these species often have long rod- or long plate-shaped pericarps, which are suitable for ejecting seeds during fruit dehiscence by bending or coiling. However, here we show that fruit with a completely different shape can also rely on pericarp movement to disperse seeds explosively, as in Orixa japonica.MethodsFruit morphology was observed by hard tissue sectioning, scanning electron microscopy and micro-computed tomography, and the seed dispersal process was analysed using a high-speed camera. Comparisons were made of the geometric characteristics of pericarps before and after fruit dehiscence, and the mechanical process of pericarp movement was simulated with the aid of the finite element model.Key ResultsDuring fruit dehydration, the water drop-shaped endocarp of O. japonica with sandwich structure produced two-way bending deformation and cracking, and its width increased more than three-fold before opening. Meanwhile the same shaped exocarp with uniform structure could only produce small passive deformation under relatively large external forces. The endocarp forced the exocarp to open by hygroscopic movement before seed launching, and the exocarp provided the acceleration for seed launching through a reaction force.ConclusionsTwo layers of water drop-shaped pericarp in O. japonica form a structure similar to a slingshot, which launches the seed at high speed during fruit dehiscence. The results suggest that plants with explosive seed dispersal appear to have a wide variety of fruit morphology, and through a combination of different external shapes and internal structures, they are able to move rapidly using many sophisticated mechanisms.     

How detrimental are seed galls to their hosts? Plant performance,germination, developmental instability and tolerance to herbivory in Inga laurina,a leguminous tree

• Gall inducers use these structures as shelters and sources of nutrition. Consequently, they cause multiple physiological changes in host plants.
• We studied the impact caused by seed coat galls of a braconid wasp on the performance of fruits, seeds and seedlings of tree Inga laurina. We tested whether these seed galls are ‘nutrient sinks’ with respect to the fruit/seed of host plant, and so constrain the reproductive ability and reduce seedling longevity. We measured the influence of such galls on the secondary compounds, fruit and seed parameters, seed viability and germination and seedling performance.
• Inga laurina has indehiscent legumes with polyembryonic seeds surrounded by a fleshy sarcotesta rich in sugars. The galls formed inside the seed coat and galled tissues presented higher phenol concentrations, around 7‐fold that of ungalled tissues. Galls caused a significant reduction in parameters such as fruit and seed size, seed weight and the number of embryos. Fluctuating asymmetry (a stress indicator) was 31% higher in leaves of galled seed plants in comparison to ungalled seed plants. However, the negative effects on fruit and seed parameters were not sufficient to reduce seed germination (except the synchronization index) or seedling performance (except leaf area and chlorophyll content).
• We attributed these results to the ability of I. laurina to tolerate gall attack on seeds without a marked influence on seedling performance. Moreover, because of the intensity of seed galling on host plant, we suggest that polyembryony may play a role in I. laurina reproduction increasing tolerance to seed damage.